NASCAR
Corey Heim to Make NASCAR Cup Series Debut in Legacy Motor Club No. 43 Toyota
STATESVILLE, N.C. – Following a hard crash in the closing laps Sunday at Talladega, Erik Jones has been diagnosed with a spinal fracture. The Legacy Motor Club driver will not race this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway. The No. 43 Toyota Camry will instead be driven by LMC reserve driver Corey Heim.
Heim, 21, is a current star in the Craftsman Truck Series and has an Xfinity top-five earlier this month at Richmond. The Georgia native will be making his Cup Series debut in relief of Jones.
“Erik’s long-term health is our number one priority,” said Jimmie Johnson, co-owner of LEGACY M.C. “It will be great to see him at the track Sunday and we intend to give him the time it takes to recover properly. I know Corey will do a great job behind the wheel for the CLUB. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Erik and his wife Holly – they have our total support.”
On lap 157 of Sunday’s GEICO 500, Jones’ car went into the turn three wall at a sharp angle. He immediately radioed for assistance exiting the wrecked Toyota, and referenced back pain. Jones, 27, was checked and released from Talladega Superspeedway’s care center. He was later transported to nearby UAB University Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., for further evaluation and testing. Jones was discharged from there, returning home to North Carolina late Sunday night. Following a checkup with Charlotte back specialists, a lower vertebra compression fracture was found. Jones posted a video message to Twitter, saying that he will be in Dover to assist the No. 43 team, and his recovery is week-to-week.
Recent compression fractures in other drivers have seen absences range between four and eight weeks, but every injury is unique.
Legacy M.C. has already requested and been granted a Playoff eligibility waiver upon Jones’ return. There is currently no timeline for the three time Cup race winner to drive again. This story will be updated.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports
